Text, Folio 105 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Byzantine icon painting Classical Antiquity Religious

Dominant colour

Text, Folio 105 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is a 14 unspecified by Unknown, a Byzantine icon painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 14 · Byzantine icon painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This is a long wooden block covered in tiny, precise carvings. The surface looks like rows of neat, repeating marks—almost like a grid of small squares and lines. It’s divided into three sections, each with its own numbered label at the top. These blocks were used to print Buddhist texts in Nepal. The carvings are so detailed they’d leave ink on paper when pressed. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more of their collection.